Machine for removing the soft wood from the surface of plywood panels



M. DEWF'T 2,467,19%

MACHINE FOR REMOVING THE SOFT WOOD FROM THE SURFACE OF PLYWOOD PANELS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 6, 1946 G v/// u V v V 3/ gym/vendor 0 U w 6 CLINTONM.D W/ 77 Mm /g 9 c. M. DEWITT Zfififillfi MACHINE FOR REMOVING THE SOFT WOOD FROM THE SURFACE OF PLYWOOD PANELS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 6, 1.945

Mama W Z6 Patented Apr. 12, 1949 moms mom PANELS FOB REMOVING THE SOFT WOOD THE SURFACE OF PLYWOOD Clinton M. De Witt, Tahoe Valley, Calif.

Application February 6, 1946, Serial No. 645,728

4 Claims. (01. 144-115) This invention relates to a machine for treating plywood, so as to cut out the soft wood and allow the hard wood to remain to simulate grain in the wood, the cutting-out of the soft wood leaving irregular grooves between the hard wood portions of the surface of the plywood panel and thereby producing a planking effect on the plywood panel.

A further object of this invention is the production of a simple and eflicient method of producing a clean-cut grain having the effect of planking in a sheet or panel of plywood by means of a dry moistureless method employing rotary brushes vfor cutting-out the soft wood and leaving the hard wood to simulate grain.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will appear throughout the following specification and claims.

In th drawings:

Figure l is a top plan view of the machine;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view thereof;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view of th regular tension brush;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary side elevatlonal view of the irregular tension brush;

Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of a portion of the irregular brush, or buffer element;

Figure 6 is a plan view of the finished plywood product after being treated;

Figure 7 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken on line 1-1 of Figure 6;

Figure 8 1s a fragmentary sectional view of a portion of the plywood sheet illustrating the means for forming the longitudinal channel therein.

By referring to the drawings, it will be seen that I designates the base of the machine which supports the table 2. A pair of rubber covered feed rollers 3 and 4 extend transversely of the table 2 near one end thereof, the roller 3 being located above and the roller 4 being located below the table 2. The table 2 is cut-away as at 5, to allow the roller 4 to extend therethrough for a suflicient distance to contact the under surface 6 of the plywood panel I. These feed rollers are driven in the conventional manner by a cross-belt 8, and from a suitable motor 9 and driving belt Ill. The panel 1 passes between the rollers 3 and 4, th upper roller 3 engaging the upper face of the panel and the lower roller 4 engaging the lower face thereof.

A pair of rotatable bufler elements II and I 2 are mounted transversely of the table 2 and in spaced relation relative to each other, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The buifer elements are 2 carried by shafts l3 and I4 respectively. Each bufl'er element shaft l3 and I4 is supported by a tension journal ii at each end. Each journal 15 is supported upon the springs l6 which are carried by the bolts ll, the tension of the springs It being adjustable by adjusting the nuts it upon the bolts H. The bolts l l are supported upon the frames I9 carried upon opposite sides of the base I. As shown, the-buffer elements II and H are similarly supported by the spring tension adjustable means defined above, to regulate the cuts of the builer elements on the plywood panel I.

These buffer elements II and i2 are driven by belts 20 and 2| respectively, the belts 20 and 2| being driven by the motor 22. Conventional spring tension belt idlers 23 engage the belts 20 and 2| to maintain a proper uniform tension thereon. The buifer element ll comprises a series of closely fitting aligned and straight brushes 24 set in a perfect line, whereas the buffer element l2 comprises a series of brushes 25 set on the shaft l4 at various angles to the longitudinal axis so as to make the brushes follow an irregular or wabbling path to cut out all soft wood between the irregular hard grain of the panel. Each brush 25 is preferably of the conventional wirebrush type consisting of a hub portion 26 formed of steel having a plurality of sharp wire or metal points 21 firmly secured in the hub to provide a wire buffer brush.

In carrying out the invention, the sheet 1 of plywood is moved longitudinally of the table 2 by the feed rollers 3 and 4 and under the rotatable buffer elements H and I2. The proper tension for the bufier elements is set by adjustin the nuts [8 upon the bolts H to regulate the tension of the springs l6. In this way the-depth of cut of the buffer elements II and I2 may be regulated to suit the desire of the operator. The buffer element H is formed of regularly set brush elements consisting of wooden hubs having sharp wire or metal points firmly secured in the hub to provide wire bufier brushes fitting closely together to produce a surface bufling means for the plywood. These buffing elements dig out the soft portions of the wood, and the pitching of the wire bufi'er brushes 25 in the manner shown in Figure 5 provides the irregular graining effect upon the panel.

After the graining efiect has been produced in order to produce the longitudinal groove 28 and to provide the effect of planking, I support a groove-forming element comprising a timber 29 above the table 2 in any suitable manner. The timber 29 carries a plurality of aligned sharp ing from the spirit of the invention.

3 metal points 30 which depend therefrom and by pulling or pushing the sheet of plywood under this groove-forming element, the groove 28 is formed. Square-headed nails 3| are then placed upon either side of the groove 28 in selected locations. The finished product as shown in Figure 6 will give a weather-beaten wind-swept or driftwood appearance, and the nails 3| add to the aged appearance of the product.

It should be understood that any number of polishing brushes of the conventional type may be used to polish the surface of the plywood after it passes under the buffer elements II and II, should this be found desirable, without departof this machine, it is possible to produce adesired paneling effect on plywood sheets or paneling without the necessity of using chemicals, moisture, or heat. Only themechanical operation of the machine and the treatment of the surface of the plywood by means of the buffer rollers II and I2, and the groove-forming element are required to produce the desired effect.

Having described the invention, what I claim is:

1. In an apparatus of the class described, thecombination of a support, a feeding means for feeding work upon said support, a buffer element spaced from the feeding element, a second buffer element adapted to cut soft portions of the wood from the face of the work, adjustable tension means supporting the bufier elementsfor regulating the depth of cut of the buffer elements upon the work, said second buffer element comprising a plurality of wire buffer brushes, a supporting shaft, and the wire brushes being set at varying angles to the longitudinal axis of the shaft to cause the brushes to wobble while rotating and thereby facilitate cutting out of the soft portions of the work.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a supporting table, a. series of feeding rollers carried by the table between which rollers a sheet of plywood is moved, a buffer element spaced from the feeding rollers comprising a plurality of closely arranged wire buffer brushes set in line and at right angles to the'longitudinal axis of the buffer element, a second buffer element spaced from the first mentioned buffer element, said second buffer element comprising a plurality of wire buffer brushes arranged at various angles of tilt to the longitudinal axis of the second buffer element to provide a wobbling action when rotated, means for rotating said buffer elements, and means for adjustably and yieldably supporting the buffer elements to selectivelymove By means.

a plurality of closely arranged wire buffer brushes set in line and at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the buffer element, a second buffer element spaced from the first mentionedbutfer element, said second buffer element comprising a plurality of wire buffer brushes arranged at various angles of tilt to the longitudinal axis of the second buffer element to provide a wobbling action when rotated, to cut out all soft wood from the plywood sheet and leave a clean-cut grain appearance of the remaining uncut hard wood upon the surface of the plywood sheet, means for rotating said buffer elements, and means for adjustably and yieldably supporting the buffer elements to selectively move the buffer elements toward and away from the plywood sheet and thereby regulate the depth of cut on the plywood sheet.

4. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a support, a feeding means for feeding work upon said support, a buffer element adapted to cut soft portion of the wood from the face of the work, a shaft supporting said buffer element. said buffer element comprising a plurality of buffer members set at varying angles to the longitudinal axis of the shaft to cause the bufler members to wobble while rotating and.

thereby facilitate cutting-out of the soft portions of the work, and adjustable means supporting the buffer element for regulating the depth of cut of the buffer element upon the work.

CLINTON M. DE WITT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 446,962 Bryce Feb. 24, 1891 1,011,490 Rasmesen Dec. 12, 1911 1,633,563 Abbott June 28, 1927 1,683,751 Abbott Sept. 11, 1928 2,075,925 Baldwin Apr. 6, 1937 2,085,463 Fortune June 29, 1937 2,115,471 Rowell Apr. 26, 1938 2,139,620 Kirschbraun Dec. 6, 1938 

